Visible records file or the like



A. M. MARTIN 2,359,376

VISIBLE RECORDS FILE OR THE LIKE Oct. 3, 1944.

Original Filed March 10, 1941 3 Sheets-Sheet l Oct. 3, 1944.

A. M. MARTIN VISIBLE RECORDS FILE OR THE LIKE 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Filed March 10, 1941 Oct. 3, 1944. A. M. MARTIN 2,359,376

' VISIBLE RECORDS FILE OR THE LIKE Original Filed March 10, 1 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Oct. 3, 1944 VISIBLE RECORDS FILE OR THE LIKE Alfred M. Martin, Park Ridge, Ill.

Original application March 10, 1941, Serial No. 382,499. Divided and this application January 7, 1943. Serial No. 471.549

14 Claims.

This invention relates to the art of visible records or vertical tray illlng as used in oflices and the like for accounting, billing and other informative data to be kept on loose leaves or cards, all of which I have referred to generally as leaves, and in which the leaves may have an individual place in echelon-for visibility and are at the same time readily removable and replaceable for purposes of machine posting, for example.

In my Patent No. 1,469,798 I disclosed a filing device in which a plurality of series of loose leaves might be so arranged in echelon on transversely running guides, the leaves being notched along the bottom for engagement with the guides and with provision for indicating the absence of a leaf from the series and also plate-like supports against which the leaves might lean, the platelike supports serving also as partitions between the series of leaves and having thickened edges providing spacing means between the partitions to insure room for the leaves.

In the present invention I have disclosed an improved form of partition and means for retaining it in the tile, and have also disclosed a plurality of such files housed together in a multiple reference rack on a table, for example, which may be mounted on wheels so as to be readily rolled alongside a posting typewriter. Moreover, in accordance with the present inven-' tion, the flies may be removed from the rack and have provision for individual stability.

In an important aspect, the present invention is directed particularly to an improved construction of the individual file unit.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description, taken together with the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a multiple reference rack in accordance with my present invention, adapted for holding six files, two of which are absent from the rack;

Figure 1a. shows an illustrative loose leaf for use with my invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged perspective view of one of the files shown in Fig. 1, and showing means for effecting individual stability of the ille in accordancewith the present invention;

Figure 2a is a separated view clone of the partition-supports constructed in accordance with the present invention; 7

Figure 3 is a cross-section of the file of F18. 2

somewhat enlarged;

Figure 3a is a perspective view of a key block used with my invention; and

Figure 4 is a longitudinal section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Referring in detail to the illustrative construction shown in the drawings, the rack ill may be conveniently made of sheet metal having sections or stalls defined by division strips ii and end wings I! for positioning, in this case, six of the files ll. Because the end wings I! haveslanting surfaces It forming the end supporting surfaces of the rack for the files I 3, any file may be opened while the rack is full to disclose one of the series of loose leaves such as l5, one of which leaves may be It. The rack it may be mounted, for

example, as on a truck I! by which it may be rolled to a convenient position.

It will be understood that each of the individual files it may accommodate a selected group of accounts, for example, and that any one of the files may be removed from the rack II and may be set up as a single unit, for example, as shown in Fig. 2. The individual file consists as shown of a normally horizontal tray or shallow holder i8 conveniently formed of sheet metal and covered on its bottom with fabric or the like as at ll superposed on a facing strip of wood Isa secured as by tacks l9b to the holder l8 to improve the appearance and also to prevent scratching of the desk or the like upon which the file may be set. Running cross-wise, that is, the short direction of the holder i8, are a series of guide bars 20 (Fig. 4) in the form of angle irons welded as at ii to the inner bottom surface of the holder i8, and spaced apart lengthwise of the holder is regularly to provide guide bars for engaging notches 22 (Figs. 1a. and 4) on the loose leaves it to arrange these leaves in a series ii in echelon, as best shown in Fig. 2, with a margin of each leaf in the series visible for indexing purposes as was described in my Patent No. 1,469,- 798, or to dispose the leaves at least somewhat vertically on the tray or holder.

Along each long side of the holder I8 is a member which may be called a cover 23 and which, as best shown in Fig. 3, may comprise a heavy fibre board 24 to the innerlower margin of which is riveted as at 25's hinge plate 28 bent to form the hinge sleeve 21 through which passes the hinge pin 28. As will be seen from Fig. 4, the hinge sleeve 21 is formed in sections spaced apart sufilciently to miss the guide bars 20, and the hinge pin 2 8 isinserted in perforations 28a (Fig. 2) and passes through appropriate registering perforations in the guide bars III as well as through the hinge sleeve 21, being suitably anchored at each end of the holder l8 to retain the covers 23 in hinged relation thereto.

Each of the covers 23, in accordance with the present invention, carries a self acting prop 29 to support the file when it is standing alone and is opened, as shown in Fig. 2, and prevent its capsizing. Desirably the props 29 are staggered at opposite ends of the covers 23 so that the prop of one file will not interfere with theprop of an adjacent file. The" prop comprises, as here shown, a metal inverted loop 30, each end of the member 30 received in holes 32 in brackets wall 50 in rotatable contact therewith. At the I holder it is placed with its trunnions in the chanwhich is hinged as by a hinge ing 31 (Fig. 3) on" '"nels, which are wide enough to one side of the "overhanging walls for this purpose and then moved to the left in Fig. 4 to engage the trunnions 44 and45 under the overhanging walls 53 and 5|, and when all of the partition-supports has at its outer end a traveling rotatable rod 36, z

the ends of which ride in. the inwardly facing channels a of the loop member 30. When the cover is leaned outwardly the, weighted gravity piece will also fall outwardly on its hinge 34 and its traveling rod 33 will slide down the loop 30 forcing this outwardly to a bracing position as shown in the drawings. The gravity piece 36 by reason of its relatively large size constitutes a tripping means as well as an extension member. The channel 300 may be pinched as at 30b to limit downward movement of the anti-friction rod 36 and maintain the 'gravity piece 35 in extended or horizontal position until it is manually raised. As here shown,.the brackets 33 extend downwardly betweenthe hinges 3| and 34 and between the metal plate 35 and the inverted loop 30, so that the plate is received between the two brackets 33 when the plate is folded parallel with the cover, the brackets being cut away in shown at 39 and, as best shown in Fig. 4, may

comprise a fibre plate 40 of approximately the same area as the covers 23 and having sections 4| along its lower edge which 'fit' in between the guide bars 20, the members 39 spanning the guide bars. Along its top I desirably widen the partition-support transversely as by a wood strip 42 held thereto in this instance by the metal binding 43 which desirably finishes not only the top edge of the partition-support but also the two ends, and this binding is continued downwardly at each end to desirably terminate in the cylindrical metal trunnions 44 and 45 cooperatively extending in the same direction and not in opposite directions. It will be understood from the drawings that these trunnions are received in transverse channels 46 and 41, respectively, at each end of the holder I8, extending parallel with the guide bars 20 and are slidable therealong in contact one with another. These channels are advantageously fioored by wood. pads 43 and Y49 respectively, and each of the. channels 46 and 41 has an overhanging wall under which the trunnions 44 and 45 are adapted to engage to retain the partition-support in the holder. At one end (left side of Fig. 4) the channel 46 has the overhanging wall '53 formed byturning inwardly the outer end wall. of the holder, spaced above the fioor pad 48 and extending partially thereover just sufficiently to receive ,oneend of the trunhave been so located they are held from moving to the right in Fig. 4 by a key block 53 which, filling as it does the space betweenthe ends of the partition-supports and the end wall 54 of the holder, prevents the partition-supports from being removed from the holder until this key block is first removed. The block 53 may have an inclined face 55 which may have a space for a name plate 56 signifying the character of the-contents of the particdlar file. The thickness vertically of the file of the wood pads 43-49 may be varied to suit trunnions of different diameters, thus rendering the device further adaptable. The widened tops of the partition-supports,- as already described, readily provide for vertical holes 51 in which index tabs 58 may havetheir legs of their frames inserted as at 53 (Fig, 4) there being enough of these holes spaced along the top so that these tabs may be selectively located to accomplish their function as staggered alphabetical index tabs as here shown, or for other subject designation as desired.

Another result of providing the strips 42- to widen the top of the partition-support is that these strips, which extend horizontally at least at each upper side margin of each partition-support, provide overhangs which, as best shown in Fig. 3, thus space the partition-supports apart to allow room for the series of loose leaves 15 between each pair of partition-supports, and protect the upper edges of these loose leaves which might otherwise be susceptible to exposure and deformation The overhangs of the strips 42 prevent the leaves from working out, even though they are not bound in.

On their opposite face the partition-supports advantageously are longitudinally ribbed at their ends as at 60 to hold the end leaves slightly away from the face of the partition-support where the series of leaves is thin, and thus make it easier to grasp the leaves when desired. In the middle of the series where the number of leaves overlapping is greatest, the rib 60 may be discontinued.

It "will be understood that each file l3 may be closed entirely somewhat like a book with its cover 23 standing straight up as shown at the left-hand side of Fig. 3. When this is done, the gravity member 35 may be raised to lie flat against the cover with the loop 30 also lying against the cover. This self acting prop 29 will remain in this inactive position until the cover is again caused to lean outwardly as shown at the right -hand side of Fig. '3, whereupon the prop will again come into play as shown, by the loop 30 reaching outwardly urged and held by the gravitymember 35.

The holes 51 also readily lend themselves to signal peg system or other short projecting memnion 44 on the pad and beneath the overhanging u bers of variegated colors, if desired, as is well 9,859,870 "known in the art. For example, if in one group there is an account whose credit bears particular watching a peg of red color such as Ill may 2a) for the trunnions 44 and 45 respectively of a partition-support and is spanned by the latter. while the overhanging wall It is spaced outwardiy thereof. It will be understood that the trunnions 44 and 4! being desirably cylindrical provide both spacing means to afford room for the leaves I l andalso pivots for the partition-supports themselves. The pivot points are normally the axes of the trunnions, which axes are spaced above the lower peripheries of the trunnions. Moreover, as

so constructed and arranged, the pivot point of the trunnions is spaced above the lower edges of the partition-supports and is relatively close to the-upper edges of the guide bars 20 upon which the leaves It rest, so that when the partitionsupports are swung forwardly or rearwardly to disclose a particular series of leaves there is desirably practically no sliding movement of the leaves on the guide bars. This substantial absence of any sliding movement minimizes materially wear on the bottom notched edges of the loose leaves. It will be appreciated that these would be otherwise subject to considerable damage over a course of time by constant usage if the partition-supports were pivoted a considerable distance relatively below the upper edges of the guide bars 20, the loose leaves being then forced backwards and forwards on the guide bars to accommodate the arc of swing of the partition-supports. This undesirable arc of swing has been practically eliminated by the construction here disclosed. However, as so constructed, it will be seen that the partition-supports may when desired be freely moved in the channels bodily transversely to the axes of their trunnions. As clearly shown in the drawings, the overhangs 42 are advantageously at one side only of the partition-supports, and at the rear side side, thereof in each case, looking at the file in its position in Fig. 2 which is the position commonly occupied by the file with respect to the user when the file is in use. Thus, the overhang of the partition support for the series of leaves 15, for example, is on the opposite side of the partition support from this particular series of leaves and thus does not interfere with ready manual engagement by the user of an upper edge of one or more of the leaves it. In other words, the user does not have to dig under the overhang to grasp a leaf. At the same time, the overhang protects the series of leaves lying against the partition-support next rearwardly to the partitionsupport against which the series of leaves It lies.

Manifestly, the invention is not limited to details of construction shown for purposes of illustration. Furthermore, it is not essential that all features of the invention be used conjointly, as various combinations and sub-combinations may be employed.

This application is a division of my co pending application Serial No. 382,499, filed March 10,

1 951, which with claims to certain aspects of the.

invention has issued as Patent No. 2,328,241 granted August 10, 1943.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. That improvement in the art of visible records which comprises, in combination, a guide bar holder having an overhanging wall at each end, a plurality of partition-supports provided with a metal binding for protecting all but their a lower edge and said binding terminating in a pair of trunnions adapted to be engaged under said overhanging walls, and a key block adapted to be inserted between said partition-supports and the end wall of said holder,'said key block having a sloping surface for index purposes.

2. That improvement in the art of visible records which comprises, in combination, a normally horizontal base-like holder, a pair of overhanging walls on said holder, a "plura1ity of partitionsupports each provided with trunnion meansadapted to engage under said overhanging walls, a manually removable block insertable on said holder to abut said partition-supports for maintaining the trunnions so engaged, and a label holder carried by said block.

loose leaves having notched lower edges support- 3. In the art of visible records adapted for loose leaves having notched lower edges supported in echelon on guide bars receiving the notched edges and which contemplates a guide bar holder, a plurality of partition-supports spanning the vguide bars for separating vseries of the loose leaves and means including cylindrical elongate trunnions of uniform diameter at the lower corners of the partition-supports to retain the partition-supports therein, that improvement therein which the axes of the said trunnions are spaced a relatively short distance below the upper edges of said guide bars whereby to minimize the arc of movement of the partition-supports with respect to the guide bars and to substantially eliminate sliding movement of the loose leaves on said guide bars under the influence of swinging movement of the partition-supports thereby to minimize wear on the loose leaves and in which the trunnions of the partition-supports are each secured to the partition support at one end only of the trunnion and the trunnions extend in the same direction and are slidable together in the holder by a common movement in said direction to lock the partition-supports in the holder while spacing the partition-supports apart by at least said diameter, and releasable locking means therefor between the holder and said supports.

4. In the art of visible records adapted for ed in echelon on guide bars receiving the notched edges and which contemplates a guide bar holder having an overhanging wall at each end, a plurality of partition-supports spanning the guide bars for'separating series of the loose leaves and provided with a pair of cylindrical trunnions adapted to be engaged one under each said overhanging wall and means to retain the partitionsupports therein, that improvement therein which includes spacing the axes of the said trunnions a relatively short distance belowthe upper edges of said guide bars whereby to minimize the arc of movement of the partition-supports with respect to the guide bars and to substantially eliminate sliding movement of the loose leaves on said guide bars under the influence of swinging movement of the partition-supports thereby to minimize wear on the loose leaves, and which includes the trunnions each secured to the partition-support at one,end only of the trunnion and the trunnions extending in the same direc-' tion and slldable in said direction to place said trunnions each under an overhanging wall, and

filler means insertable beneath the overhanging walls to accommodate trunnions of smaller diameter.

distance below the upper edges of said guide bars" substantially less than the height of said guide bars whereby to minimize the arc of movement of the partition-supports with respect to the guide bars and to substantially eliminate sliding movement of the loose leaves on said guide bars under the influence of swinging movement of the partition-supports thereby to minimize wear on the loose leaves.

6. In the art of visible records adapted for loose leaves having notched lower edges supported in echelon on guide bars receiving the notched edges, that improvement therein which includes a holder for the guide bars, a channel at each end of the holder'beyond the guide bars and extending transversely of the holder parallel with the guide bars, overhanging walls on the holder partially covering each channel, the channel being open adjacent the overhanging wall, a partition-support adapted to span the guide bars and having at each lower corner a cylindrical trunnion adapted to be received initially in one oi said open channels and then moved longitudinally of the holder to place said trunnions under said overhanging walls of the holder, one of said trunnions extending longitudinally beyond the support to be received under one of said overhanging walls and the support being cut away above the other trunnion to permit the last mentioned trunnion to be received under the other said overhanging wall, and manually controllavble means for preventing accidental displacement of the trunnions from under said over-- hanging walls.

7. That improvement in the art of visible records which comprises, in combination, a normally horizontal base-like holder, a plurality of transverse guide bars carried by the holder, 8. pair of overhanging walls on said holder located intermedially of the height of the guide bars, a plurality of partition-supports each provided wih trunnion means at each lower corner thereoi! adapted to be placed in said holder to engage under said overhanging walls, said trunnion means extending in the same longitudinal direcend, a partition-support receivable in the holder spanning the guide bars for separating a series of loose leaves and provided with a trunnion at each of its lower corners, that improvement wherein said partition-support comprises a platelike body and a metal binding for all but the lower edge of the support, said binding along the upper edge of the support having inserted thereunder and between the said binding and the body a widening strip on one face of the support only, said metal binding being therebelow continued downwardly in close association with the body and terminating at said lower corners, the support being cut away Just above the trunnions to permit the trunnions to extend longitudinally in the same direction whereby to be received under said overhanging walls by a common movement in said direction.

9. In the art of visible records which contemplates a guide bar holder having an overhanging wall at each end, a plurality of partition-supports each provided with a pair of trunnions adapted to be engaged under said overhanging other side thereof and which includes a longitu- ,1

dinal rib on the partition-support along its face opposite to that which has the widening strip to tion whereby by a common movement in said diported in echelon on guide bars receiving the notched edges and which contemplates a guide bar holder havingan overhanging wall at each 76 facilitate grasping of the loose leaves on that side, said rib being discontinued at the middle of the support. I

10. In the art of visible records which contemplates a guide bar holder having an overhanging wall at each end, a plurality of partition-supports each provided with a metal binding and a pair oi triuinions adapted to be engaged under said overhanging walls, and a key block adapted to be inserted between said partition-supports and an end wall of said holder to retain'the partition-supports therein, that improvement therein which includes a widening strip located along the upper edge of a partition-support tinder the metal binding at said edge on one side only of said partition-support whereby to provide a protective overhang for loose leaves disposed in the holder on said side 01' said partition-support, said partition-support being free of said overhang on the other side thereof, said overhang also providing a widened portion oi. said partition-support for having vertical holes punched in said binding and said strip to receive a pair of legs of an index tab and said holes being spaced at intervals longitudinally therealong whereby tabs on adjacent partition-supports may be staggered.

11. In the art of visible records which contemplates a guide bar holder having an overhanging wall at each end, a plurality oi! partition-supports each provided with a metal binding and a pair of" trunnions adapted to be engaged under said overhanging walls, and a key block adapted to be inserted between said partition-supports and an end wall of said holder to retain the partitionsupports therein, that improvement therein which includes a widening strip located along the upper edge of a partition-support under the metal binding at said edge on one side only 01' said partition-support whereby to provide a protective overhang for loose leaves disposed in the holder on said side of said partition-support, said partition support being tree of said overhang on the other side thereof, said overhang also providing a widened portion of said partition-support for having holes punched in said binding and said strip to receive the legs of index tabs.

12. That improvement in the art of visible records for use with a guide bar holder provided with parallel guide bars and having a plurality of overhanging walls with the guide bars therebetween, and adapted to carry loose leaves in echelon on the guide bars, which comprises a partition-support for the loose leaves spanning the guide bars and having along at least a portion of each of its vertical edges a metal binding terminating at the lower corner of the partitionsupport and formed thereat into a cylindrical trunnion adapted to be engaged under one oi said overhanging walls, said trunnions having their axes aligned and extended in a direction substantially at right angles to the guide bars.

13. That improvement in the art of visible records or the like for use with a holder provided with a plurality of overhanging walls with loose leai mounting means thereabove, which comprises a partition-support for the loose leaves spanning the said means and having extending vertically therealong parallel with each of its vertical edges a metal member terminating adjacent the lower corner of the partition-support and formed thereat into an at least somewhat cylindrical trunnion adapted to be engaged under one or said overhanging walls, said trunnions having their axes aligned andextending in the same direction from their connections to the partitionsupports respectively.

14. In the art of visible records or the like contemplating loose leaf filing, a holder having a pair of channels, means on the holder between said channels for supporting the lower edges of the loose leaves above said channels, a plurality I of partition-supports extending cross-wise of said means for separating and supporting a plurality of series of loose leaves in tilting movements of the leaves while leaving the lower edges of the leaves supported solely by said means, depending vertical trunnion carrying elements onthe partition-supports, at least somewhat cylindrical trunnions carried by the trunnion carrying elements adjacent each lower comer of a partition-support, said trunnions being initially received in the channels respectively having their axes spaced above their lower peripheries and being extended ALFRED M. MARTIN. 

